Miles Wine Cellars Guide to Winter Food and Wine Pairings

Pairing food and wine is an art form. There’s no right
or wrong as long as you match your favorite food with the wines you enjoy.
Having said that, it’s true that some wines work better with certain dishes, a
proper pairing makes a memorable meal. When your wine and food play well
together, magic happens. Suddenly, the whole is greater than the sum of its
parts.

For
many, winter is the time to stay put; to appreciate home dinners around the fire
and forget about the snow piling up on the streets. This is why we have put
together a modest guide for you to pair your next dinner party with the fine
wines of Miles Wine Cellars.

Miles Wine Cellars Unoaked Chardonnay

Light
food includes salads, leek & potato soup, fondue and soup dumplings. It pairs
best with light-bodied, dry white wines like our enticing Dry Riesling or our
unoaked Chardonnay. Our mouthwatering dry rosé will also match light, fresh
meals; try it with salade Niçoise, and you’ll see what we mean.

Ghost Wine

Wines
with a hint of sweetness are truly food friendly. Our semi-dry Ghost Wine, made
from Cayuga and Chardonnay, or our Long Weekend Cayuga white wine, will work
well with spicy food; think Thai noodles. Sweetness tames spicy food
like balm for a burn.

Cache Sparkling Riesling

Medium-bodied dishes, like oily fish (think salmon or trout), poultry, pork and veal, need a little more assertiveness. Wines like our Cache Sparkling Riesling have plenty of fruit and weight to match white meat and cream sauces. Try it with a fancy mac ‘n’ cheese or a bowl of poutine.

Cabernet Franc

An earthy red like our straightforward Cabernet Franc will enhance roasted food and mushrooms nicely. Enjoy it with tomato one-pot dishes or a stir-fry.

Lemberger

Red wines, notably ones with a good, solid structure, like Miles’ off-the-beaten-path Lemberger or our flagship Milestone red wine, pair best with red meat, game and hearty stews. Full-bodied dishes like a beef & vegetable casserole or a homey lasagna will be glorious with a glass of red.

Wisteria

It’s
time for dessert, and our semi-sweet Wisteria rosé, made with the local Catawba
grape, goes well with dishes of discrete sweetness like vanilla custard or a
raspberry crumble cake.

Miles Treasure

Enjoy a glass of our Treasure fortified wine with chocolate cake or butterscotch pudding. If you’re not into sweets, this wine is delightful along a cheese platter, and don’t forget to add a local blue-veined cheese to the mix.

Spend what’s left of winter honing your food and wine matching skills and find the pairings that work best for you. The Finger Lakes provides quality fruit that results in a wide range of wine styles for you to pick and choose. Remember, the best pairings are those you and your loved ones enjoy the most. Bon appétit!